


The Last King's Knight

by FullMetalKittn



Series: Tiger Festival of Eos [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Backstory, Fluff, Gen, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-03-23 06:46:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13781997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FullMetalKittn/pseuds/FullMetalKittn
Summary: Contains FFXV: Kingsglaive and Comrades Spoilers. In this story: Mobile game addiction and Big City Problems. It's Kingsglaive Tiger Festival's last night in Insomnia. One she may never remember.





	1. 736.V.15th, 2:25pm

 

Sunlight beamed into a small room from narrow windows set high on walls of steel and stone. Through thick, frosted glass, it illuminated a sparse, somewhat underground living quarters with dented street sign décor. A floral Altissian rug covered the section of poured concrete floor that hosted a single wide futon pushed up against the wall. Framed with a pair of side tables and separated from the kitchenette by an ancient television and a trio of analog radios set on a stack of old books, this was the bedroom of Aria Catarina Rosa, AKA Tiger Festival, Kingsglaive.

Like a human cannelloni wrapped in a hand-made quilt of alternating pink and white patterned squares, the presence of the woman herself was betrayed by a tuft of pale green hair poking out from the under the covers. Not quite asleep, and not entirely awake, a contented sigh escaped her unmoving form. Happy to let the sun bake her forever, Tiger decided she'd never leave the daybed again.

But there came an insect-like buzz from nearby, followed by the most annoying sound on the entire planet – the default ringtone and alarm of a standard issue Crown City Smartphone.

Tiger curled up in a ball, determined to ignore it.

 _Why did I even set an alarm?_ It was her day off. The first in weeks. As far as she was concerned, the world beyond her cozy little bed could rot for now.

Unfortunately, the phone was very persistent. The happy little chirp drilled through her brain and straight into her last nerve. With some effort, Tiger managed to pull her arm out of the blanket and blindly groped about on the side table in an attempt to defend herself from the brutal assault on her eardrums. She succeeded only in knocking the unruly device to the floor. There it continued its disgustingly cheerful chime and she knew submission was inevitable.

After a half-hearted wrestling match, it became clear that extracting herself from her bedding this way would be problematic. She opted for another and wiggled to the edge of the bed. With her quilted cocoon aimed off the side of the mattress, she inched forward until her body oozed halfway out and onto the floor. Once both hands were free, she grabbed the irritating machine, propped herself up on her elbows, and slid her thumb across its screen. This silenced the alarm and presented her a home page with an unread message notification. She gave it a tap.

> _King's Knight: New DM received from –_

“Ignis!” Now she remembered the reason for the alarm, and just like that, the little phone's transgression was forgiven as she pulled her legs out of the quilt and sat up on her knees. She opened the app and impatiently waited for it to load. Ignis had said they'd have a little time to co-op today, and she didn't want to miss out.

After all, with the sudden trading of Crownsguard and Kingsglaive duties, who could guess when another day off would come her way? Her future felt uncertain in a way that bothered her deeply when she thought about it. So she endeavored not to think about it and eagerly tapped through the game's title screen and gacha announcements. Her in-game DM box popped open to reveal a familiar old man icon beside the title, “My Apologies.”

Her heart sank as she got to her feet and opened the message.

> _My Apologies._
> 
> _It appears I underestimated the amount of free time I'd have today. I'll be on a bit later than I promised. Around 4pm, perhaps. I do hope to see you online then. We make quite the team on the expert maps and I'm in need of some grinding to max out the new weapon I spun._
> 
> _Also, if it isn't too much trouble, please avoid telling the others about our farming duet today. Especially †Prince†. I'd rather not deal with any accusations of addiction._
> 
> _I'm looking forward to playing with you again, Kittn._

Tiger smiled her relief and thumbed out a quick reply,

> _Don't worry, Ignis! Your secret is safe with me._
> 
> _I'll be waiting for you._

 

A postponement, then, and not a cancellation. She turned off the phone's screen and glanced up at one of the overhead windows. Judging from the number of warped and shadowed feet passing to and fro, Ignis wasn't the only busy one this day. During her first few weeks of living here, the footfalls and constant flickering of light as people made their way through the city above proved a great distraction, but the little cellar-like apartment's price had been right. Once the living quarters of the building's underpaid Super, an apparently sudden upgrade in security and staff for the higher class condos in the building had rendered that position obsolete a few years ago. This produced a fortunate vacancy for a new and mostly broke arrival to the city. She had grown used to its myriad quirks and deficiencies over time.

There was also something to be said for living within decent walking distance to the citadel proper. Even if it meant living in a literal dive. 

“I wonder if there's any hot water for me today,” mused the Kingsglaive as she made her way to a narrow water closet situated between the storage room and the domicile's only entrance. The slender door opened outward, allowing the washroom's occupant barely enough room to turn around between the low toilet and sliding shower door in front of it.

Pipes clearly dating from the Solheim civilization creaked in protest when she turned the faucet on. She worked her way out of a black cotton night shirt featuring a fiercely mewling pink kitten and stepped into the stream of lukewarm water. As she massaged a handful of ¥500 apple-scented shampoo into her jade locks, her mind drifted back to the mobile game.

“Should I use my Sakura or my Tamomo?” She asked herself, considering her two favorite characters. The first was a cute human thief girl, also favored by Ignis, and the second a nine-tailed fox lady that they didn't have. Her friend seemed genuinely impressed by her usage of both, so it was difficult to choose between the two when they played together. “I guess I'll just wait to see who he picks.”

 _He._ She did it again, and again reminded herself, _Or she._

Tiger finished rinsing her hair and started to work on her rosy skin. A frown creased her brow as she ran a soapy cloth along her arms. Did Ignis guess at her gender? Maybe they correctly suspected that she was a girl. It wasn't exactly a difficult deduction. Or, maybe they figured she was just another guy who liked to play female characters. And used cutesy handles.

Maybe it didn't matter. After all, Ignis could actually be a strange old man, like his favored wizard, who strove for mobile game completion trophies and top tier characters. Friends were few and far between since her migration to Insomnia, and because she considered him one of them, she knew she wouldn't like him any less if he turned out to be some 80-year-old weirdy. Probably.

Personal hygiene seen to, Tiger dried off, re-donned her night shirt, retrieved her phone and padded to the kitchen. There, she prepared a bowl of honey flavored cereal for herself and grabbed a can of sweetened Ebony from the fridge before making her way back to the futon. Casually monitoring her phone for any new messages, she sank back into the mattress, armed herself with a spoon and flicked on the television.

With luck, she'd be able to find something other than Peace Treaty news and speculation to watch.

“Maybe some mid-afternoon Malbuddy...”

 


	2. 736.V.15th, 6:45pm

 

The sun had set on the little apartment almost an hour ago. Though the table lamps and ceiling fixtures worked just fine, the electronic glow from Tiger's phone was the only light in the dark room. She knew it was bad for her eyes to play this way, but who could be bothered to turn anything else on when there were pixel goblins to slay?

Ignis had logged in as promised and chosen to adventure as the five star Verdi in their possession – a harpy tank character that Tiger never had the good fortune to draw. She considered using the nine-tailed fox in spiteful retaliation, but opted for Sakura instead to make their pixel pair's outing more productive.

And productive it was! The farming was done within a half hour, and since then they had spent some time moseying through event maps and trading DMs. More the latter, than the former. A strange weight had settled in Tiger's heart, and though she may have been projecting, it felt like Ignis was a bit troubled as well. These feelings fueled lengthy back and forths as she sought to distract herself from the trepidation. The messages from her friend were as well worded as ever;

> _It's been quite the day so far._
> 
> _An incredibly busy one, at that. There's been so much to do preparing for the trip that I've lost track of time twice already. Even as we speak, my friend awaits my aid cleaning out his apartment. I can't imagine how long that's going to take, given the chaotic state it's typically in. Heh. But it must be done before we leave. He won't be returning to it when we come back from Altissia._

That's right. Ignis was leaving tomorrow. With all the changes to her organization in preparation for the signing and the Nif's takeover of the frontier, Tiger had just about forgotten that all four of her King's Knight friends were ditching the Crown City for a while. Though they had mentioned the upcoming journey quite a bit, this was the first time their destination had made it's way into the conversation.

She smiled. For 17 years she had called Lucis home, but the Accordo capital of Altissia was the place of her birth. Too young when they left it to remember much about the city, Tiger nonetheless felt a bit sentimental seeing its name on appear on her screen.

> _Altissia!_
> 
> _My family lived there when I was a little girl. It's been a long time since I've seen it. Oh, I wish I could go with you! But there's this whole peace treaty stuff to deal with tomorrow. Crazy time to be a Glaive, I guess. I know how stressed you must be, but I think I'm a little jealous of your trip! Promise you'll try a strawberry gelato while you're there._
> 
> _Do it for me, even if you don't like strawberries, ok?_

Had she told Ignis about her occupation before? They'd been in contact for over a month now. Surely it had come up. And even if it hadn't, it wasn't as if she belonged to any sort of secret organization. Tiger wasn't ashamed of her affiliation, either. Though they were often looked down upon as a band of filthy, foreign refugees, the Kingsglaive had earned their place in Regis's favor through blood and steel. How many of those high and mighty Crownsguard losers could say the same?

Still, she wondered if she hadn't revealed too much, and bit her lip in anticipation of Ignis's next DM. The minutes ticked by in dark, anxious silence. It felt like twenty seven years had passed by the time the screen lit up again with the notification of a reply.

She swiped it open.

> _I'll keep that in mind._
> 
> _While I've never been outside the crown city, I've studied the world beyond the wall ever since I was a young boy. That includes Altissia, though I imagine the words I read won't have done it justice. If only I could take you along. A native guide would certainly be appreciated and I've wanted to meet outside the game for some time now. Alas, I fear our duties will prevent that from happening for just a while longer._
> 
> _As well I fear they must cut short our time now._

It was closing in on 7pm. Having yet to make herself any supper, Tiger's tummy had started to gnaw loudly on her backbone. With Ignis's obligation to his friend no doubt looming over him like the irritating emptiness in her stomach, she knew the grown-up and responsible thing to do would be to call it quits for the time being and see to other things.

She curled up in the corner of the futon and cradled her phone in her hands as she tapped out a response.

> _One more map, then?_
> 
> _:3_

She was a terrible excuse for a grown-up, after all. 

Ignis seemed equally unwilling to part digital paths, and in the end another thirty minutes passed before they finally DM'd their farewells for the evening. Tiger stayed logged in for a bit, staring at Ignis's offline Verdi. A profound hollowness settled in her chest.

“Ugh. What is this awful feeling?” She demanded of the vacant apartment as she stood up and finally turned on some lights.

In the kitchen, a mostly empty fridge and some sparsely stocked pantry shelves presented themselves for her dinner gleanings. Tiger had meant to go shopping today, but time spent with Ignis had taken priority. With no regrets, she foraged up a can of condensed tomato soup and some frozen waffles. As the toaster oven and stove top saucepan heated her food, she leaned back against the counter and considered her online friend's last few messages.

“So, he's a boy after all.” She said, crossing her arms as she thoughtfully tapped her lips with her forefinger. Her cheeks colored lightly. Had he worded his response just to reveal it? Her mind wandered as she tried to imagine what Ignis might look and sound like. Naturally, the portrait of his wizened wizard character eventually popped up. Tiger let out a short laugh and shook her head. “Whatever.”

Steam rose from the pot on the stove, signaling the soup's ready state just as the toaster oven chimed. She arranged her food on a lap tray and made her way back to the futon. Plopping down there in the same spot she had occupied all day, she flicked the television on and settled back to eat. There would be no Malbuddy to entertain her at this hour. Only the news, and the news was all the same.

“Preparation for tomorrow's signing ceremony continues well into the evening here at the Citadel,” droned a flaxen-haired female reporter dressed in a blue business suit. Behind her, tawny streetlights illuminated the Capitol promenade, full of black cars and people in uniform. “Security has been tightened up to ensure our esteemed guests' safety, and all are eager to see a resolution to this conflict at last.”

“Not like this, they aren't,” Tiger said in between mouthfuls. Her expression soured. The terms of the treaty would leave her parents at the Empire's mercy, and while she trusted her father to keep her mother safe, the idea of them being politically cut off from Lucis filled her with dread. This was only part of the uneasiness that had haunted her since the change in operations. Something else chewed at her like the faded memory of an old wound – a wrongness that she couldn't quite grasp.

She took a bite of her plain waffle and surfed through the channels. The same scene was repeated on them all; different angles with different reporters wearing the same fake smiles as they drummed up the joy that the peace would bring.

_And isn't that worth it...?_

“Even now His Majesty hosts his long time rival at a fun little gathering atop the Citadel,” one reporter was saying. His accent was obnoxious, but he was kind of cute. He winked at the camera as he continued, “King Regis makes a helluva enemy, eh? We should all be so lucky.”

Tiger's sour demeanor soured further. The other Glaives weren't going to like that. Tensions were already high among those like her, whose families would be abandoned to the Empire. How would they feel hearing that the Emperor himself now enjoyed expensive drinks and fancy little foodstuffs at the King's pleasure? How much worse for those of her comrades that were assigned to citadel security tonight, witnessing this first hand?

She eyed her simple fare and imagined the sort of wonderful things that that bastard Aldercapt was getting to eat at Insomnia's expense. What she wouldn't give to taste such finery herself!

Grumpier than ever, she tore off another piece of waffle with her teeth and changed the channel. Luckily, a stunt course game show with ridiculous overblown obstacles appeared in the sea of on-site reporters and monotone anchors. Tiger settled in to watch, grateful for anything that would take her mind off the bitterness she felt and the troubling thought of days to come.

Three or four mindless hours later, she had just begun to doze off to an automotive sales infomercial when her phone lit up and chirped. She popped one eye open and glanced at the screen. 

_King's Knight: New DM received from Ignis._

She quickly set her tray aside and took up the device to check it.

> _Fancy another go at it?_
> 
> _It appears we've a bit of time and restlessness to burn before bed._ _The apartment is taken care of and the four of us are all logging in. Care to throw yourself into the rotation? We'd all love to play with you at least one more time before we're Altissia bound._

Just like that, Tiger's grumpiness evaporated. A warm smile spread across the Glaive's face as a strange lump formed in her throat. She felt the oddest urge to cry, but blinked it away. Without hesitation, she tapped out her answer.

> _I'm game!  
>  _
> 
> _You don't even have to ask!  
>  _

 


	3. 736.V.16th, 4:30am

The alarm chirped through the dark apartment at an ungodly hour, rousing a Tiger who was certain she had only been out for five minutes. After a late night spent among King's Knight friends, it took all the willpower the Glaive could muster not to chuck the unruly device across the room and roll back under the covers. Instead, she dragged herself upright and ground the sleep out of her eyes.

Except for the cell buzzing away on the side table, all was silent and still. Even the sun had more sense than to be up at this time.

Stifling an expansive yawn, she took the phone up and silenced the alarm, then checked her notifications. Of course, there weren't any. Her dear digital comrades had stayed up as late as she had, and were likely still enjoying the blessed oblivion of sleep. With one last forlorn look at the cozy pink quilt snuggled against her, Tiger stood up and began what promised to be the longest day ever.

After a breakfast consisting of sweetened Ebony and two slices of toast with butter and strawberry jam, Tiger made her way to the water closet where she stood like a zombie in the shower. Nice and hot for a change, she did more basking than washing as her mind sorted through her schedule. 

Debriefing began at the Citadel, 8am sharp; she'd have to be out of the apartment by 6:30 if she wanted to avoid any risk of being late. While only a couple blocks away, the security crack down could mean anything, even for a girl in a Kingsglaive uniform. Maybe especially so, given the recent rearrangement, and it wouldn't do to gain the attention of Captain Drautos for being tardy.

_Maybe I should leave at six..._

She expected to be assigned some sort of guard duty, perhaps even an escort. Whatever it was, she hoped it wouldn't be a solo affair. As her mind sorted through the various unpleasant tasks that might present themselves, her thoughts drifted to a message that sat read, but unanswered on her phone. Received yesterday morning - just before her bedtime, it was a statement of intent and a request for support from Luche Lazarus. While not officially a Captain, he certainly seemed to consider himself such, and so texted orders from him weren't exactly uncommon. With no established hierarchy beyond the often distant Drautos, Tiger thought his assignments were typically sound and few argued against them. This one, however...

The water began to cool – a sure sign that she'd been under it too long. Once out of the shower, she dried off and pinned up her wavy, green tresses, then stepped back out into the dimly lit apartment. A weathered three-drawer dresser pushed against the wall just outside the bathroom door held all the clothing she owned. Her freshly cleaned uniform lay folded on top of it. She picked up the black bodysuit with a quiet sigh and worked her way into it.

_The boys don't have to wear this._ She thought with a scowl as she zipped and fastened it into place with a double-wrapped, black leather sword belt. Tall black boots with sterling buckles and three inch heels were followed by an equally black, winged-sleeve short coat secured with cross straps above her bosom. To finish off the ensemble, a length of pearly white Lucian silk fluttered between her shoulders. This marked her as wielder of healing magics, but as far as Tiger was concerned, it only added to the lengthy process of getting into uniform. Once finished, she examined her reflection in the half length mirror nailed to the wall above the dresser. The sturdy, protective material pushed her curves into a shape that wasn't quite her own, but she had to admit it wasn't unpleasing to look at.

Satisfied that nothing would fall off or burst open, she combed back and arranged her hair in an upswept ponytail. Finally, she draped the dog tags engraved with her Hunter alias around her neck. While not part of the Kingsglaive uniform, she never left home without them – as per her father's standing orders. Then she fetched her City ID, her hunter ID and her InsomniYen Card from the kitchen counter and tucked them into a pocket sewn inside her jacket.

_“_ Just about ready.” She said, glancing at the mirror again. Already, her hair was trying to escape it's tied up predicament. Wisps of the jade-colored stuff had fallen down to frame her temples. She made a face and blew a raspberry at her reflection, then retrieved her phone. The display lit up at her touch.  _6:17 AM._ More than enough time for one map on King's Knight. Her thumb hovered over the game's icon, but she shook her head, opting for responsibility. _“_ Time to go.”

The city streets were remarkably empty as she made her way towards the Citadel square. A few early birds and all-nighters shared the sidewalks, and there was hardly any traffic to speak of as she crossed the thoroughfares without a need to mind the pedestrian signals. Her abysmal sleeping habits made Tiger a typical part of the last-minute rush to get to work on time, and so she knew these things would change very shortly. But for now, at least, she could enjoy the relative silence and solitude of these precious minutes before dawn.

By the time she drew near the Capitol Promenade, the sun was up and Insomnia had awakened. Her people emerged from their skyscraper homes, occupying the sidewalks with purpose and the streets with sleek and stylish automobiles. A line had already formed at the upper gates to the Citadel courtyard; a dozen or so civilians and a couple members of the press waited to get inside. Figuring she still had plenty of time, Tiger was content to do the same. She settled in behind the little crowd, but found herself waved ahead by a gate guard who noticed her uniform and requested her ID.

“Running late, aren't you, Glaive?” The middle-aged woman asked as she scanned the plastic card's microchip. Her side swept brown hair and round, weathered face made Tiger think of her mother. “Many of your comrades arrived a good hour or so ago.”

What? Was this woman joking? “Are you joking?”

The lady chuckled in a way that also reminded Tiger of her mother, and handed back the id. “Afraid not, dear. Take care in there, won't you?”

“Yeah, you too. Take care out here, I mean.” The bewildered glaive wandered through the checkpoint and tucked her id away. Had she missed a memo? After all the fuss not to be late for a change, Tiger still found herself racing for the towering heart of Insomnia with all the panic and fervor of a tardy school kid. Luckily, very few civilians had been allowed past the gates so far and so there weren't many pedestrians or vehicles to worry about. She scampered into the courtyard at the front of the Citadel just as a group of uniformed soldiers occupying the entryway stairs began to disperse.

The guard had been right.

Tiger stopped to catch her breath at the base of the steps. Fellow Kingsglaive that she knew only in passing marked her presence with fleeting glances as they set off with faces full of determination. Had she missed the entire debriefing? It must have been a little past seven at the most. What the hell happened to Eight AM?

_And where is Crowe?_

A fellow caster, and possibly the closest thing she had to a flesh and blood friend in this city, surely she would have at least said hello or something. Maybe she had already left. Tiger scanned the departing soldiers for that unruly mop of brown hair. With luck, she could just tag along with her and wing the rest of whatever she missed. But instead, she found herself making eye contact with Luche Lazarus who stood at the top of the stairs. He frowned as he made his way down to her.

_Well, shit._

“Rosa,” he addressed her using her last name. How she hated that militaristic crap. “Am I to take your embarrassingly tardy appearance here as a sign that you've decided to support this operation?” 

“Right. The operation.” Also known as the DM she still hadn't responded to. Realizing what she had walked into, Tiger scoured her brain for an appropriate response that wouldn't piss him off, but in the end only the truth presented itself, “I'm sorry Luche. I haven't made up my mind yet. Have you seen Crowe? Was she here?”

His frown deepened. “No, and I hope you aren't thinking she'll make the decision for you. This is a choice you'll have to make on your own.” The veteran glaive paused and glanced up at the sky, then narrowed his eyes at her, “Lucky for you, there's still some time to do that, but not much of it. Text me once you've figured out where you stand.” With that, Luche gave her a brief nod and turned away. Tiger watched him scale the stairs back into the Citadel as that uneasy weight settled on her heart again. She took a seat on the empty steps and sighed.

_Why do things always have to be complicated?_

All she wanted was to do the right thing - to make her father proud and protect her mother. Now it felt like those two things were at odds with each other. 

Thinking a bit of music would help her sort her feelings, she dug her phone out of her coat pocket. It vibrated briefly in her hand, indicating a missed message. When the display lit up to reveal an unread DM from Ignis in King's Knight, Tiger wasted no time in swiping open the device and loading the app to check it.

 

> _It was quite fun._
> 
> _I must admit, I didn't expect to stay up so late on the eve of such a busy day, but I have no regrets. Indeed, our time was well spent. I dare say I outscored even you this time. However now that the sun has risen and our journey begins, I fear it will be some time before I'll have the luxury of playing again._
> 
> _If you'll forgive my asking, I'd like to know your real name. That way I might know you should we reunite outside of the game. (And I still hope that we do, heh) Though you may not realize it, you know part of mine already. It's Ignis. Ignis Scientia._
> 
> _Whether or not you share yours with me, know that I'll miss our time together. Do take care, Kittn._
> 
> _Until we meet again._

 

She had to read the entire thing over again after the second paragraph unexpectedly caused her heart to flutter. After all, revealing his name as his handle only upped the odds that Ignis was actually an old codger like his frequent choice of character. Such a giddy reaction to this endearing message was completely uncalled for. 

But then, she recalled he also liked to play the Indomitable Knight, Lancelowe. That one was decidedly more attractive for a tiny video game character lacking a mouth, and less ancient besides.

Amused at the continued mystery of Ignis's actual existence, Tiger bit her lip and thumbed out a reply.

 

> _Hello Ignis!_
> 
> _So this was your name the entire time? A handsome name like that must have a meaning. Maybe you'll teach me what it is some day?_
> 
> _But I guess that day will have to wait. And so will our rematch! It was a whole five points you beat me by! I can't possibly let that stand, so you'd better stay safe on your trip, ok? If anything happened to you I'd never reclaim my high score._
> 
> _My name is Aria, btw. Aria Catarina Rosa. It's Altissian. Maybe you'll learn what it means while you're there. Then you can teach me that too, when you get back. In person, if you like. Until then, have fun in Accordo, Mr. Scientia._
> 
> _I hope to see you soon!_

 

Never before had Tiger reread or second guessed a message intended for Ignis, but this one she fretted over. Why did it read like awkward desperation? Had she always written that way? The whole handsome name thing was definitely a little lame.  _You could be sending this to an 80 year old grandpa,_ she reminded herself and resolved to edit it, only to fat finger the send button instead. 

She blinked, then stared at her phone in wide-eyed horror when the sent message confirmation flashed across the screen.  _Six save me! What have I done?_

As if it bore an answer from the Astrals on high, the obnoxious crown-city cell chirp echoed around her. Startled completely out of her skin, Tiger fumbled with her device, only to realize it wasn't the source of the sound. Above and behind, she scrambled to her feet, expecting to find Luche bearing down on her, armed with his mobile. Instead, she faced an equally harrowing presence as the Crown Prince himself strode down the stairs in the company of three other gentlemen. They wore Crownsguard crests on their otherwise casual clothes.

Trained to recognize Prince Noctis, but not exactly how to acknowledge him, Tiger eyed the quartet warily as they neared and wondered if she should bow or kneel or something. 

But then Captain Drautos called out to the Prince from the top of the stairs. His voice drew the attention of Glaive, young Royalty and retainers alike, and all turned to witness the King of Lucis hobble down the steps towards his son. They met on the midway landing. Despite his failing health, a tangible power surrounded the monarch. Even standing out of earshot at the bottom of the miles-long staircase, Tiger could feel it pulsing like a distant heartbeat at the edge of her senses. Chosen as she had been, this was the well of astral might that she could tap into to fuel her magical talents at any time.

At least as long as the king lived.

Tiger glanced down at the phone in her hand. The face was dark, but Luche's request for support lit up in her memory. While he hadn't been explicit with the details, she had no doubt how this Operation would end.  _Betrayal._

_I could tell the king right now. It's what a good Glaive would do._

_But then I'd be leaving my parents to the mercy of the Empire._

_Is that what a good daughter would do?_

Before she could argue herself to a conclusion, movement from above drew her attention back to the Royal family. Prince Noctis's three-man retinue were heading down the stairs again towards a car that may have been parked there forever for all the notice Tiger had given it. 

Passing nearest to her, the tall, bespectacled one in the fancy jacket glanced her way. His shrewd, blue-green eyes darted from hers to her hair before he returned her tracking gaze with a slow blink, a half-smile and a courteous nod. Tiger blushed.  _What the hell?_ She patted her ponytail to make sure it was still in place, then frowned, feeling a bit silly as she watched him take point near the black sedan. 

It was the color, of course. It was always the color. She had attempted to hide her minty mane with dark brown dyes for the first few weeks of her Insomnian residence, but had quickly lost the patience and the budget to continue the charade. Let people assume what they would, she had decided back then. It hadn't really bothered her. Until now.

_ Crownsguard.  _ She thought with a scowl as she lifted her chin and looked away. Then another thought followed that softened her demeanor as quickly as the first had soured it,  _ He has pretty eyes, though. _

Without turning her head, Tiger surreptitiously tried to get another look at them, but the caramel-haired gentleman's gaze was occupied by the phone he now held in his palm. So much for that.

Above, the Prince had parted ways with his father and was trotting down the steps. Though the staircase was wide enough to support a standing army, and there was no chance of collision with the royal heir, Tiger took a few steps back to give him the entire rise and bowed her head as he passed. She greeted him with what she hoped was a convincingly stoic, “Your Highness,” and placed her fist over her heart. She needn't have bothered, though. There was no sign that the young man had heard her at all as he hopped in the car. His companions followed suit, including the pretty-eyed one who spared the solitary Glaive a final glance as he slid into the back seat and closed the door.

The sedan drove off, following the paved roundabout towards the gate farthest from the Citadel. Tiger's gaze drifted back to the man with the cane who still stood on the stairs. Where before she saw a King in command of unimaginable power, she now saw a father with a face full of worry. He stared after his departing son as if he thought he'd never see him again.

She recalled the faces of her parents on the day she left for Insomnia. It was her mother who had looked after her that way; her eyes were full of worry while her father beamed with pride. They were the reason she was here. They were the reason she had taken this oath. They were the reason she made her decision at last.

Tiger took a deep breath and unlocked her phone.

 


End file.
